THE consultation over the proposed closure of mental health and elderly wards at Royal Bolton Hospital is now over.

Greater Manchester NHS Trust (GMT) is proposing the closure of three wards, and care for the resulting “displaced” patients will be transferred to Woodlands Hospital, Little Hulton. Here, the 50-bed provision will be shared with Salford, as 50 beds are lost in Bolton.

Can anyone reading these simple facts not be alarmed?

The lead GP of Bolton Clinical Commissioning Group (CCG) — Dr Bhatiani — says: “Anyone who needs a mental health bed in Bolton will get one”.

Can he tell us how this is possible?

A spokesman for GMT says the closures won't occur before a home-based service is "up and running".

Can she tell us what "up and running" means?

The CCG tells us that the home-based service will involve three visits of up to an hour each per day.

How many trained nurses and carers will this involve? Where are they?

Bolton TUC has supported a long campaign on behalf of the people of Bolton to save our mental health provision, and other threatened services at Royal Bolton Hospital.

Thousands of signature have been collected.

Yet again the public concern has been ignored.

The final decision on these ward closures will be made in September.

Labour councillors on the Health Scrutiny Committee have so far raised no objections when these proposals have been discussed.

Their major contribution so far has been to tell concerned members of the public to shut up.

Will the Bolton Labour group now join the campaign to save our NHS, rather than save the £2.1 million these proposals entail?

Or will they sit on their hands while their Tory colleagues gleefully watch another step being taken towards privatising the NHS?

Tom Hanley Chorley New Road Bolton